Hecking Game: IC Inbox

[toothaches]

"--eached Maurice Hutch. Leave your name and number and I'll get back t'you soon as I can."

Comments

[parillegal]

Wait, I don't have time for pizza!

Do you remember the deal we made the other night?

[toothaches]

[ A pause. He looks at his pizza. ]

Oh, uhhhh...no. Do I owe you money?

[parillegal]

No, but you might if you ever end up playing poker with me. I've got a great poker face.

[anyway]

But no! We made a deal! Like one of those cool magical deals the cherubs talk about!

[toothaches]

Ohhhhh.

[ He's so glad he doesn't have to trade her his pizza. ]

Then, uh, wha'do I owe ya? If it was...the other night...I don't remember a ton. I was really wasted.

[ He DOES remember the outpouring of kindness from his friends, but the finer details are very blurry. ]

[parillegal]

We made a contract so that you could turn back into a girl sometimes, remember?

And so I could turn back into a boy.

[toothaches]

[ A pause. ]

We did!? Oh shit! That's sick! For real?

[ For somebody so excited about turning into a girl, he is overflowing with boyish delight. ]

Totally for real? How? How do I do it--shit I gotta...I gotta find my skirt! Wow, Maya, thank you! I dunno what to say!

[parillegal]

[Oh, good! A totally good reaction!]

I know, right? So, you toootally want to learn to do it right now so I can go to this all-boys party, right??

[toothaches]

Uh! Yeah!

[ He has abandoned his pizza at the kitchenette in his room and he is digging through his closet. He picked out so much cute shit while he was Mercedes. ]

Tell me! Tell me! Does it hurt?

[parillegal]

What? No way!

I wouldn't do it if it hurt.

But lucky you, I remember the whole thing we choreographed!

[yeah maybe she should have waited until he wasn't drunk to choreograph it, though? He just seemed so happy about the ability.]

[toothaches]

Choreographed? I hope we didn't pick the Macarena. I'm awful at the Macarena.

[parillegal]

Yeah, I can tell.

But we made it super easy, so you can do it any time!

[Even tipsy.]

[toothaches]

[ He is too excited to be offended by her light jab. He is throwing articles of clothing over his arm with his phone cradled against his shoulder. ]

Ma-yuuuuh, c'mon! Tell me how to do it! What kind of guy party are you goin' to anyway? You gotta watch out...when there's no girls around, guys can be kinda...you know.

[parillegal]

[a pause]

Wait, what? No, I don't know.

Tell me!

[toothaches]

Well, I mean they say things about what they and their girls get up to. Or what they'd want to get up to, if you know what I mean. But! If it sucks you can just leave. Tell me this dance thing we gotta do!

[parillegal]

[somehow, Maya gets the impression that's not going to be the issue, exactly... but that's not important right now.]

Okay! I have it memorized. We worked it out together!

We just have to synchronize and hold our phones like they're swords!

[toothaches]

Oh, ooookay, let's see...

[ He grips his phone and holds it out in front of him with both fists like it's a fucking light saber. ]

Like this?

[parillegal]

Probably!

[But even with the video on, she can't see from this angle... it's fine, though.]

But, hold it like you're gonna pull the sword out of a sheath, like a samurai! It got all glowy when we both did that at the same time.

[toothaches]

OH! Okay okay--

[ He takes on a Stance as he grasps the phone at his hip, elbow cocked and ready to withdraw a blade. ]

Okay I'm going! I'm doing it! Haah!

[ ENGAGE!!!! ]

[parillegal]

[Maya doesn't give Maurice any more cues— mostly because from there, it's pretty intuitive. She follows his lead and starts to draw the imaginary sword, and like ripping a cord it pulls a flash of color over her body, changing its shape and form. When the "sword" is fully removed, and the phone is now across the other side, Maya stands in the form he did when he'd been under the hot springs curse.]

[toothaches]

[ Flash! ]

[ A riot of color passes over Maurice like a wave, leaving Mercedes posing dramatically in its wake. ]

HOOOH! Oh-ho, shit! Maya, it worked! Aaaaa ha ha!

[parillegal]

Mercedes!

[Maya's thrilled— Mercedes seems just as happy as she was when they'd figured it out the first time, so there's no buyer's regret on this contract.]

See? Isn't it so cool?!

[toothaches]

Yeah, man! Wow! I guess a girl really can have it all!

[parillegal]

Yeah, you can!

[Ok Maya does have a party to get to, but since Mercedes doesn't seem to recall their pep talk from the other night, it's perfectly fine to run a little longer.]

You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. So if you ever miss being a girl again, just call me up!

[toothaches]

[ Mercedes nods, though she knows Maya can't see her. ]

I will! I will! And same t'you!

[parillegal]

Hey, before I let you go, what are you gonna do first?

[Maya simply HAS GOT to know.]